Enactment of Article 23 is an essential task under the Basic Law and has a bearing on the national honor, Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa said in Hong Kong Thursday.
"A strong and stable motherland is the basic guarantee for Hong Kong's stability and prosperity," Tung stressed.
The chief executive noted Hong Kong never posing a threat to the national security is one of the preconditions for the successful implementation of the "One Country, Two Systems" principle.
"We have made the aim and principle of the enactment of Article23 very clear. Civic rights and freedoms will never be hampered," he promised, adding guaranteeing the human rights and freedoms of Hong Kong people is the fundamental responsibility of his government.
Tung urged all walks of life in Hong Kong to sincerely cooperate in making the enactment of Article 23 a success.
(Xinhua News Agency June 27, 2003)
